Human Weakness
by Soo W
Summary: A Fred/Angel story. Angel is missing presumed dust, and Fred and the Angel Investigations team can't rest until they get him back. Angel isn't so sure he wants to be saved. Can Fred convince him otherwise?
1. Default Chapter

Human Weakness 1/8

**All the usual disclaimers apply. The characters are not mine, I am merely a fan who makes no commercial gain from writing this story.**

**Sequel to "I, Angel" - if you haven't read that and want to catch up, please click on the link to Soo W above and you'll get there**

Human Weakness 1/8 

"...you wanna know the deal? human weakness. it never goes away..."

Wesley strode purposefully along the grey, echoing corridor, his footsteps mimicking those of the guard who went before him. Stale food, old sweat and disinfectant; the whole bouquet of prison smells assaulted him and he thanked his stars that he wasn't one of those forced to remain in this place come nightfall.

"This is the overflow room," the guard remarked, "and there she is. Now, you'll remember what I told you. There's no glass, so we'll be watching. No exchanging any items. No touching. Fifteen minutes only."

Wesley thanked him and walked across the crowded visitor's room. At a desk in the middle of the room, sat a beautiful, dark-haired woman. She regarded the desks in her immediate vicinity with undisguised amusement. She seemed comfortable being on her own, when many others would have, indeed, were, looking anxiously at the door; hoping that Wesley was their loved one. She didn't even look up, not until Wesley sat down opposite her.

"Hey Wes. Finally come to have a gloat?"

"Faith. You're looking well. What would I be gloating about?"

"Nothin', nothin'. Just my little joke. So - what *are* you here for? Cabbage soup tips?"

Her flippant manner riled Wesley, but then, when had she ever had any other effect on him? Her eyes sparkled at him and he had to fight the urge to blurt out his news, just for the pleasure of wiping that look off her face.

"I have some bad news, which I felt could only be said in person."

"If it's about Buffy, believe me, I already know. Giles wrote and told me a twelve-month ago. Still comin' in second Wes, huh?"

"It's not about Buffy."

"It's not?"

"No."

Faith gulped. "Who?"

He told her, and she blanched. Her slim fingers rose trembling to her mouth. She opened her lips to speak, but nothing came out.

"It was four weeks ago. We were working on something, and he came back to the hotel after a trip and he was in a terrible state. Badly injured, which we took care of, but also in deep shock about something. He wouldn't tell us what. Fred..."

Faith croaked, "Who's Fred?"

"A friend. Of mine. Ours. She and Angel... well... just before it happened they were close. Getting closer."

"Did they fuck each other? Has he gone awol again?"

"No, and no. We didn't know what had happened to him at first. Fred said he was having terrible dreams, and talking about shanshu in his sleep."

"Shanshu?"

Wesley shook his head, "It's complicated. Sort of a destiny, for Angel. Then we finally checked the balcony. And we found a piece of jewellery, that we know he had with him at the time, and... and..." 

Wesley felt a familiar tightening in his throat. He gulped and tried to ignore the prickle of hot tears as they bathed his eyes before spilling over his cheeks.

"Wes..."

He shook his head fiercely and wiped his nose on the back of his hand. "We found ashes. He killed himself."

"Oh my god."

"Faith, I'm here to ask for your help. No, to beg for it. I'll do whatever it takes. We have to know why. We... we've got to get him back."

"What the hell do you think I can do? I'm a slayer! Revivification is not really a big part of my job!"

"We want to consult the oracles. Messengers of The Powers - the beings Angel was working for when he died. They won't come for us. We aren't warriors. Even Cordelia... we've tried everything. But we know it can be done, Angel did it himself when he was... with us. And we know slayers are automatically considered warriors."

"So, what do I do? Summon them?"

"You have to get to a Gateway. We've located one, it's just a matter of going there and saying the incantation."

"Wes," Faith hissed, "They generally don't like you discussing jailbreaks in the middle of visiting hours. Can you keep it down a bit?"

"We'd have to get you out of here." Wesley whispered, "But we've..."

"Don't whisper! That's even worse!"

"...got a plan."

"Not interested."

"Faith, please. You're our one hope."

"I come up for parole next month. Can't it wait?"

"If I said we had a plan that would mean your parole wouldn't be affected?"

"I wouldn't believe you."

Wesley sighed. A silence broke out between them, and he twisted in his seat so he could look at the floor instead of her. "He was my friend. A good one. He wasn't an easy person to know, but his friendship, once gained, was... precious. I came to you because, whatever we think of one another, it seemed to me you'd be one of the people who'd appreciate what a blessing knowing him could be."

Faith groaned and laid her head on the table, in the fold of her arms. Then she sat up and gave Wesley a resigned look. "You're such an asshole."

He smiled at her, realising he'd won. 

"You'd better tell me the plan, then."


	2. Chapter 2

Human Weakness 2/8

**All the usual disclaimers apply. The characters are not mine, I am merely a fan who makes no commercial gain from writing this story.**

**Sequel to "I, Angel" - if you haven't read that and want to catch up, please click on the link to Soo W above and you'll get there**

Human Weakness 2/8 

"...you wanna know the deal? human weakness. it never goes away..."

Faith noticed the prison van slowing and braced herself for action. Inwardly, she swore she'd never agree to one of Wesley's crackpot schemes again.

When he'd explained it in the prison, it all sounded so plausible. Faith was due to transfer temporarily to a new prison for her parole hearing. They would find someone who was about her height and build and looked enough like her to stand comparison with the photograph in her file. On the way there, they would create a diversion, stop the prison van, practice a little magic on the guards and do a swop. No-one in the new prison knew Faith, so the chances of being found out were minimal. The intruder would sit the parole hearing and be transferred back, when they would do the swop again. 

Now it was actually about to happen, she couldn't believe her own stupidity. This was never going to work.

The van pulled to a stop. Faith's guards fidgeted uneasily in their seats and looked out of the window over her head. There was nothing to be seen; the van was parked in an abandoned road in the middle of nowhere.

Faith sat like a statue, waiting for her cue.

Voices came from the cab. Faith took a deep breath, and allowed her body to go completely limp. She slumped forward, slipping to the floor of the van. Her guards tried to pull her back upright again, but she played dead convincingly and they had to get down on the floor to lift her. 

Suitably distracted, they didn't notice the faint struggle in the cab, nor the lilac vapour pouring through the grille. As the guards breathed the fumes, they became fuddled and slow, and eventually sank to the floor next to their captive.

Seconds later, the door swung open and Wesley and Gunn peered in from the outside. Using keys they'd stolen from the cab, they unlocked the guards from Faith and locked them to her decoy. Gunn shook Faith's shoulder. 

"Is she out?"

Gunn nodded and hoisted the slayer's body over one shoulder. "Let's make a move. There's not much time."

The two men scrambled out of the van and ran the short distance to Angel's car. Stowing Faith in the back seat, they covered her in a blanket. Then they returned to the van. Gunn let all the air out of one of the front tyres, then locked the back doors and returned the key to its rightful owner. Meanwhile Wesley walked around the vehicle chanting quietly. 

Gunn looked at him, shaking his head. "Are you sure this is going to work.?"

Wesley came to the end of his ritual. "Of course. An elementary spell to erase short term memory. It never fails, especially if you sow doubt in their minds early on after waking. Come on, let's get Faith out of here."

They returned to the car and sped away into the night. Behind them, the guards were coming round and picking themselves from the floor. 

"What the heck..."

"It's OK you guys," a cheerful voice came through from the cab. "I think we hit a pothole. I'm going to check for damage. Sit tight while I radio for back-up."

The prisoner clinked her chains and smiled at the guards in a friendly manner. "The van suddenly stopped and we all just went flyin' from our seats. Are you hurt? I was worried."

"That's enough from you, girl. Save your jokes for the other inmates."

In the back of Angel's car, Faith surfaced and sat up. She twisted in her seat and looked over the boot. 

Incredibly, they weren't being pursued.

She turned and reached forward to pat Wesley on the shoulder. "Good job, kiddo."

Wesley smiled at her, "Are you OK? No after effects?"

"I'm fine." Faith took a lungful of air. "Who did you find to take my place?"

"A friend."

"A friend?" Faith groaned. "Tell me it's a kick-boxing, street-fighting, tough-cookie sort of a friend?"

Gunn gave Wesley a look. "Not exactly."

"Wesley? Who is it?" Faith was glowering.

In the prison van, Fred gave up trying to make friends with the guards, and kept her twinkling eyes cast down and her thoughts to herself for the rest of the journey. 


	3. Chapter 3

Human Weakness 3/8

**All the usual disclaimers apply. The characters are not mine, I am merely a fan who makes no commercial gain from writing this story.**

**Sequel to "I, Angel" - if you haven't read that and want to catch up, please click on the link to Soo W above and you'll get there**

Human Weakness 3/8 

"...you wanna know the deal? human weakness. it never goes away..."

Faith was finding out what Wesley meant by "gateway of lost souls". It turned out to be a drain covering. Faith stared at it for a moment, and stifled several caustic comments. 

"Are you absolutely sure?"

Wesley nodded. "There was one closer, underneath the Post Office, but it was desecrated. We tried it and it's still abandoned. This is the nearest now."

"Yeah, it's not the neighbourhood I object to, Wes, it's the fact that it's a sewer entrance."

"Wouldn't have thought that would bother you!" Gunn put in from behind.

Faith gave him a look. "It doesn't bother me. I just have a hard time believing this is a mystical gateway to higher powers. It looks more like a fast and easy route to smelling bad."

Wesley took the satchel he was carrying from around his neck and started to take herbs from it and lay them on the ground. "We've tried it. It works! You'll see. Just have f... confidence."

Faith sighed and backed away a step to give him some space. "Right. Confidence. In you guys. Except, I still haven't quite got over you sending the new love of Angel's life into my world. I can see it now. She'll be like Buffy, all sweet and trusting and gullible, except without the kicking and punching. They're gonna eat her alive..."

"We've been through this. It's too late to change it now. Cordelia will go and see Fred tomorrow to make sure everything's OK. It's all we can do." Wesley turned back to the drain cover, and said commandingly, "We beseech access to the knowing ones!"

Nothing happened. 

"That's funny." Wesley pushed his glasses back onto his nose. "It certainly worked last time. Gunn, is this the right street?"

No answer came. Wesley turned to find Gunn and Faith gone, and a bright light shining from a hole in the road a few yards away. "Very close," thought Wesley. "to this hole and, just as a point of purely academic interest, roughly where Gunn and Faith were standing moments ago."

The light formed a cone above the road surface, like a search beam shining into the darkness. Wesley approached it carefully, and was about to peer down into the brightness when Gunn was forcibly ejected from the hole, and landed on top of him.

"Gunn! How'd you get on? Where's Faith?"

Gunn spluttered. "Threw me out again. Not a warrior. Said if I go back they'll turn me into a frog."

Wesley frowned. "Well... how interesting. I wouldn't take that seriously, Gunn. It just means they're getting touchy! We've clearly got them on the ropes." 

"That's one way you could look at it." Gunn choked. "And the other way is they could really be about to turn me into some pond life."

"But they're talking to Faith?"

"It seems so. Although, as I was being firmly and painfully ejected, it seemed there was some difficulty about a gift."

The two man sat on the ground and looked up at the cone of light. After a few minutes it faded, and the drain cover reappeared. Standing on top of it, was Faith.

"You did it!"

"What did they say?"

Faith looked around as if to check that she was back on solid ground again, and then strode over to the car and kicked one of the tyres.

"Those ASSHOLES!"

"Faith?" Wesley rushed over to her, concerned. "What happened?"

"Get this," Faith fumed. "They won't help. They say 'if it happened it was meant to be' and 'what is done cannot be undone.' Can you believe it?"

Gunn shook his head sadly. "I was afraid of this."

"For godsakes," Faith continued, "WHAT is the point of having higher powers on your side if you can't ask favours every now and then?"

Wesley shrugged. "That is a debate most religions have. The answer usually comes out as something like 'our god is an omnipotent god but he (or she) wants us to grow and develop as people and if he (or she) reached out an omnipotent hand and helped us every time we suffered, we'd be like children forever.' Or something similar."

"Bunch of crap." Faith muttered. "AND they took my necklace before they'd answer any questions. It was like visiting a pawn shop."

Gunn patted her on the back "You did your best." He turned to Wesley, "Now what? Do we have a back-up plan?"

Wesley was pacing up and down, eyes on the ground, forehead furrowed.

"Oh Lord," Faith poked Gunn in the ribs to get his attention. "We all know what this means."

"Uh-huh," Gunn nodded. "Here it comes..."

"We're NOT going to take this lying down." Wesley exploded. "The Powers won't aid us? Well, here's another religious maxim for you: 'The Lord helps those that help themselves.' Now I don't believe in god, but I say we can get Angel back, and we will. We've got the brains. We've got the muscle. And, for the next few days at least, we've got a slayer."

Faith cheered, "Right ON! Go Wes!"

"She said it," said Gunn. "So... what's the plan?"

Wesley raised a finger and waved it at them purposefully a few times. "I - I - I..."

"Wes?"

"I haven't quite got it perfected yet."

"Jeez," Faith groaned, "another one of *those* plans." She paced around the two men, scuffing her boots on the road surface. Then she said, "Actually, they did say one thing that might be useful."

"Yes?" Gunn looked hopeful.

"They're going to make it possible for Angel to communicate with one of us. Whoever he most needs to talk with. Sort of a truth and reconciliation thing."

"Interesting," Wesley brightened slightly. "Did they say who that would be?"

Faith shook her head, and, there being nothing left for them to do, the trio returned to the Hyperion.

Prison, Fred mused to herself, wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. Everyone seemed to have a place to be at all times. You could generally find out what you were supposed to be doing by following someone else. The other inmates left you alone, in the main, and there were no exploding-head collars. It was certainly a big improvement on being a cow.

As she settled down for her first night behind bars, she encountered the first major hurdle. The bed was lumpy. After five minutes shifting her weight and curving her spine to try and fit around the lumps, she decided the lumps were going to win. 

"It's lucky I'm so tired."

The sound of her own voice echoing off the walls of the cell was strangely disturbing. For a moment, Fred was back in Pylea, sitting on a pile of skins in her cave. Angel was there, in the mouth of the rock fissure, fighting away a legion of priests, and she was desperately chanting, trying to open a portal and spirit them both to LA. She opened her eyes just to drive the image away.

Instead of the walls and ceiling of her cell, she saw nothing; a blackness so total it seemed she might touch it, thick and deep and silken. Except, she couldn't feel anything, not even the lumps in the bed. A familiar voice called her name.

"Fred?"

Thinking she was dreaming, she ignored the voice, but it came back, insistent.

"Fred!"

"Angel?"

"I'm here."

"I can't see you. Am I dreaming?"

"I don't know. I'm not..."

"You're not real."

"No. You... you're alive?"

"Yes. Well, last time I checked..."

"Thank god... I thought you might be..."

"What are you?"

"I'm Angel. Whatever's left, anyway."

"A spirit? A ghost?"

"No. I'm not... I'm just here. And then you came. I - I heard you humming a song."

"Where is here?" Fred asked, and then she frowned, "I was humming a song?"

"You're always humming a song. You've been humming the same song since we got back from Pylea." Angel's voice was soft, indulgent, cloaking her in unspoken affection again. "Here is where I've been, since I... since I left."

"What does it look like?"

"It's dark. Empty. Sensationless."

"You must feel something." Fred wondered she made that statement, since she was utterly devoid of sensations herself. But it was foolish to worry about being consistent when having a conversation with a dead vampire. Consistency had to be the least of her worries. "Are you sitting, standing? What?"

"Neither. It's just like floating in sea of nothing."

"Are you corporeal? Try touching your nose."

"No. I can't. I don't seem to have a face or any fingers to touch it with. I'm just... thoughts."

"Why are you here? Why am I here? How come you can talk to me?"

"I don't know."

"Why did you leave us?"

No reply came. 

"Angel?"

But he was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Human Weakness 4/8

**All the usual disclaimers apply. The characters are not mine, I am merely a fan who makes no commercial gain from writing this story.**

**Sequel to "I, Angel" - if you haven't read that and want to catch up, please click on the link to Soo W above and you'll get there**

Human Weakness 4/8 

"...you wanna know the deal? human weakness. it never goes away..."

Faith paced the lobby of The Hyperion, nursing a cup of coffee and assessing the room, as she did with any room, in terms of escape routes, blind spots, and furniture and fittings that could be used as weapons, if there were a fight. "Any luck yet, Wes?" she asked, for about the tenth time that hour.

Wesley barely looked up from the book he was studying. "Faith, this would really go a lot quicker if you'd shut up for five minutes and let me get on."

"What are you looking for, anyway?"

"I *told* you. Anything which will help us get Angel back. Revivification ceremonies, mainly."

"There must be hundreds..."

Wesley nodded, "Thousands..."

"So," Faith said, exasperated. "Pick one! Where's the problem?"

"Most of them require large amounts of blood."

"Could we use Angel's stash?"

Wesley put the book down. "Faith. Angel kept a few pints of blood in the fridge. It's gone off by now. These ceremonies... most of them mention rivers of blood. We're talking gallons and gallons of fresh, living..."

"OK! OK! I get the picture. We need a lot of blood. For all of 'em?"

"All the ones I've found so far, yes." Wesley tossed the book to one side and picked up another. "It seems to be a common feature."

Faith made a face, "I guess Angel wouldn't be too thrilled..."

"If we sacrificed thirty virgins to bring him back?" said Wesley sarcastically, "No, I guess not."

Faith wandered away and continued pacing the office. She picked up a paperweight and studied the flecks of colour buried in the glass. Then she weighed it in her hand, calculating how much lift she would need to give it to fell, oh, say a Fyarl demon standing about where Wesley was sitting. She noticed Wesley looking at her, his shoulders tensed, so she put it down and gave him a winning smile. The fax machine was nearby and, out of boredom, she reached out to punch a random button.

All the lights in the building went off.

"Faith!"

"I didn't touch it!"

A clanking, whirring sound came from the basement, and the lights came on again, as abruptly as they had been extinguished.

"There's a back-up generator?" Faith was amazed.

Wesley shrugged, "Er... it would seem so. First I know about it, but this is an unusual building."

"Didn't you pay the bill?"

Cordelia marched into the office. "Hey guys."

"Cordy," Wesley waved, "We seem to have had out electricity cut off. Are there cash flow problems again?"

Cordy frowned and shook her head. "I paid them last month!" Then she looked around the room, "Seems to be working OK..."

"Back-up kicked in." said Wesley knowingly.

Cordy's mouth dropped open. "We have a back-up?"

Steps approached the main door of the hotel, and all three of its inhabitants turned to see a large envelope appearing through the letter box. Cordy stepped over and picked it up. "Those bastards."

Wesley and Faith crowded round. "Who? What is it?"

"Wolfram and Hart. Trying to evict us again. This is a notice that if we don't leave by five minutes ago, they'll cut off the juice."

Faith looked confused. "The lawyers that hired me?"

Wesley was muttering. "Bunch of blood-sucking, hard-bitten, cowardly, evil... LAWYERS!" 

"Seems a little petty for them." Faith continued. "I mean, last I heard they were trying to kill him. Now they want to move into hotel management?"

"They've done much worse than try to kill him," Cordy confided, "They used a prophetic scroll to bring Darla back and tried to make him evil again, and..."

Faith screeched, "Darla?"

"Yeah..."

"His sire?"

"Yes."

"The vampire?"

"Uh-huh."

"And this scroll is now..."

Wesley frowned, "In the basement, I think."

Faith looked towards the heavens dramatically. "Help me out here, big guy, I'm dealing with idiots..."

"Oh!" Cordy caught on and turned to Wesley, "Yes! Why not?"

Wesley looked blank, "Why not what?"

"The ritual," Cordy grabbed his arm, "Why can't we use it to bring back Angel?"

"Well," Wesley said, "Because... because..."

Four raised eyebrows mocked him. He spun on his heals. "I'll just go and fetch it."

In the prison, Fred rolled over and tried to get to sleep. She knew from her long imprisonment in Pylea that sleep was necessary. Sleep stopped you going mad. Sleep was a good way to escape reality. 

And now, sleep was also a way to find Angel.

"Can you hear me? Fred?"

Fred nearly cried with relief. He was back. In her haste to say something to stop him disappearing again and his haste to apologise, their words tripped and tumbled over one another, like spring lambs gambolling in the fields.

"Angel? You came back. Don't... don't go. I didn't mean to question you like that. You don't have to tell me anything."

"I wanted to say... I'm sorry. For leaving you all like that, for putting you through that."

She couldn't stand the weight of sadness in his voice. "Don't... it doesn't matter now."

They paused, and eventually she heard him again.

"What's happening? Where are you?"

"I'm sleeping. In a prison."

"Prison?"

"Faith's prison. We switched places for a while."

"Why?"

"We needed her on the outside. To speak to The Powers. We're trying to help you. We're going to ask them to bring you back."

There was a long pause, and finally, a faint, "That's not possible. They won't help. They... gave up on me some time ago, I think."

"Wesley thinks not." There was silence. "He'll work it out." Nothing. "Angel... you do want to come back, don't you?"

As suddenly as if he'd pushed her away, she was back in her cell again. Sleepless.


	5. Chapter 5

Human Weakness 5/8

**All the usual disclaimers apply. The characters are not mine, I am merely a fan who makes no commercial gain from writing this story.**

**Sequel to "I, Angel" - if you haven't read that and want to catch up, please click on the link to Soo W above and you'll get there**

Human Weakness 5/8 

"...you wanna know the deal? human weakness. it never goes away..."

The vampire perceived his prey and lifted his head, taking a deep breath and extending his senses to the full.

The air between them was his tool. He sucked in the smell of her frail human body, perfumes carried to him despite the stillness of the night, by the constant, restless jostling of molecules; oxygen and nitrogen, the very elements carried her scent to him. The atmosphere between them churned with the vibrations of her movement. The sound of her breathing assaulted his eardrums; pressure waves reverberated each time she sucked air into her lungs and expelled it seconds later into the apparent void. He knew that her body functioned in the same way, but she, a pathetic human creature, was deaf, blind and almost unconscious by comparison.

He adjusted his step almost imperceptibly, and kept pace with the girl. Yellow street lights burned ahead and a block or so away people thronged and laughed; it was too public, but just let her stray from the well-beaten path for a second, and he would have her.

As if he had communicated a request, the girl turned into a dimly lit side street.

The vampire increased the length and frequency of his stride. Closer, closer, closer still; the distance between them diminished rapidly. He moved silently behind her and when they were separated by less than the span of his arm, he reached for her neck.

As if she felt his presence, the girl reached behind and seized his arm as it came towards her. She stopped dead, causing the vampire to crash into her, then bent forward and using his own weight against him, tossed him over her shoulder to lie, spread-eagled, on the pavement.

She delved into her coat and brought forth a pair of handcuffs. "Hi. My name's Faith. What's yours?" 

Before he could recover enough to reply, the vampire was manacled firmly to a fire hydrant. The girl, beautiful and dark eyed, bent and put her face close to his. "You really think I couldn't sense you comin'? I could feel you three blocks away." 

The vampire grimaced and snarled "Slayer..."

Faith grinned, put two fingers in her mouth, whistled, and then yelled, "Gunn! Wesleeeee! Come and get it!"

Two other humans emerged from a van parked by the side of the road. The vehicle was dull blue, but beneath the surface of its current paint job, the vampire could make out the faint outline of the words, "City Dog Pound". The back doors opened to reveal a caged section, still coated in wiry hairs and smelling of disinfectant.

One of the two, a tall, anxious-looking man carrying a crowbar, stepped forward and seemed to take great delight in flooring him.

"You're lethal with that thing, Wes! C'mon, let's get him inside."

Back at The Hyperion, Faith chained the vampire to the foot rail surrounding the reception desk. The three vampires already fastened there looked nervously at each other and said nothing.

She regarded her collection proudly. "It's starting to remind me of Willy's bar in here! You know, I never caught and collected them before... it's kinda fun for a change."

Wesley smiled. "We still need one more." 

"All under control," Faith jumped up to sit on the desk, "I'll just grab a coffee and we can head out again."

Across town, Fred was pacing her cell. if she could tire herself out and just get some more sleep, she could try and find him. It wasn't logical that only he could find her. Somehow, she must be able to reach him, reach out to him.

"Listen to me," she said out loud, "Talking about logic when I'm just two steps from going completely round the twist. Hey, for all I know it's already happened. Let's face it, I'm having conversations with a dead vampire in my dreams."

"Fred?"

The cell faded away, and she was back in the dark place she had mistaken for sleep. "And when I'm awake as well? Oh, this can't be good."

"Fred, I've been thinking..." Angel's voice was small and frightened.

"Yeah?"

"I should tell you what happened. Why I did what I did."

She whispered, "You don't need to. We don't care. We just want you back."

"But if you know, you might feel differently."

"Angel... I'll listen if you want to tell me." 

"I killed someone."

"I see."

"No, you don't, you can't possibly see. It was... it was..."

His voice was brittle, full of anguish. She ached to reach out an touch him. If she could just hold his hand while he explained. Anything to give him some reassurance; to let him know what he meant to her, and Wesley, and all the others.

"Oh! Ohmygod..."

"What? Angel? What's wrong?"

"Something... someone just touched me."

"Can you see them? Did they hurt you?"

"I can't see anything. I felt... fingers... touching my hand."

"Which hand?"

"Fred, does it matter?"

"Was it..." She pictured herself stroking his hand again, running her fingertips from his wrist, along the length of the scar and down his long fingers.

"You? How can you... are you here?"

"No. I don't know. I just... thought about touching you. And then you started caterwauling."

"Can you feel me?"

"No."

"How about now?"

Fred felt her hair being swept gently from her neck. "Now I can... your hand is on my shoulder. Can you feel it?"

"No... wait... yes... I felt something then..."

"Maybe, if we both think the same thought?"

"OK..."

"What will we think?"

She heard him take a deep breath. "I want to hold you."

"You do?"

"I want to slip my hands around your waist..."

"Angel..." She felt his hands move over her hip bones and settle in the small of her back. Realising he wouldn't be feeling anything, she thought about her skin under his touch, for all she was worth, and heard him catch his breath, and then continue.

"I want to... draw you towards me... bring your body to lay against me... the weight resting on my chest, the top of your head just under my chin."

"Oh... that feels... wonderful."

"Fred... I've missed you so much."

"I know..."

Abruptly, the contact disappeared. 

"Angel?"

"I made a vampire."

Slowly, light began to dawn on Fred. She thought determinedly about wrapping her arms around him from behind, holding him tightly while he spoke, burying her face in his back between his shoulder blades. "A vampire?"

"Yes."

"Nero?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"She tricked me. I was attacked. I was brought there specifically to... and they hurt me... so much..."

"And you lost control?"

"Yes. Because of the pain."

"Tell me."

"I bit him and drank his blood, nearly all of it. I was so... angry. Then he drank mine, I didn't mean it to happen but I couldn't stop him, there was so much of it pouring out of me and I was stunned..." 

"And you tried to kill him?"

She felt him heave a huge sigh. "Yes. But I wasn't quick enough. Darla sent me back and must have sealed the portal somehow at the same time. While you were sleeping... I tried to get back but I couldn't."

"So... you're the head of the Order. That's why she wanted you there?"

"Yes."

She felt him pushing her arms away, but she gripped tighter and wouldn't let him escape. Concentrating with all her might, she found she was stronger, at least in this way, with the power of thought.

"Listen to me, Angel. You did what you could. You were tricked. No-one's going to blame you for this."

"I blame myself."

"Then stop. This is no reason to leave us. No reason to die. This is... self-indulgent."

"Fred... don't..."

He was slipping away, and she knew couldn't prevent it. As he faded she squeezed him again and whispered, "We won't... won't love you any less. None of us."

The door of her cell burst open, and a guard stood, filling the gap. 

"Visitor."


	6. Chapter 6

Human Weakness 6/8

**All the usual disclaimers apply. The characters are not mine, I am merely a fan who makes no commercial gain from writing this story.**

**Sequel to "I, Angel" - if you haven't read that and want to catch up, please click on the link to Soo W above and you'll get there**

Human Weakness 6/8 

"...you wanna know the deal? human weakness. it never goes away..."

Cordelia made a mental note never to visit a prison again. God knows, she had made some strides lately in terms of character development and working/playing well with others no matter where they shopped, but some of the outfits in this place were simply too challenging, even for the new Cordy. She sat forward, leaning into her half of the cubicle, and tried not to look.

Soon, Fred appeared in the other half, smiling shyly through the plate glass. Cordelia picked up the phone and indicated that Fred should do the same.

"Hey, Fluff, how are you?"

Fred shrugged, "It's not so bad."

"Are you kidding?" Cordelia exclaimed, "It's a nightmare. I can't believe you agreed to..."

"Cordy..." Fred interrupted. "Remember... we agreed not to talk about... Uncle Wesley's operation when you visit."

"Uncle Wesl... Oh!" Cordelia nodded vigorously, "The operation. Absolutely. I won't mention it again."

"Well if you insist," Fred leaned towards her, "You could tell me how it went. But not too much detail."

"Uh-huh," Cordelia replied, "The operation was a total failure. The... the.. consultants absolutely refused to intervene. Aunt Fai... Fai... Aunt Fay was totally pissed. And then they both agreed to... to... rise above the situation and... turn to alternative medicine!"

"Alternative medicine?" Fred looked confused.

"That's right," Cordelia continued. "And it's going really well. They're using a tried and tested remedy, and Uncle Wesley is administering it himself. We're expecting to see results by tomorrow night. About 8pm."

"Wow," said Fred, "I guess I never really thought they'd manage it."

"Those two?" Cordelia beamed, "They never, ever say die. And Uncle Wes always gets what he wants. You know that."

"Cordy," Fred changed the subject, "You have those visions, right?"

Cordelia shook her head sharply, and swivelled her eyes to indicate the guard standing a few paces away.

"Not visions!" Fred corrected herself, "Veins! Varicose veins!"

Cordelia's shoulders slumped, and Fred gave her an agonised look and mouthed the word "Sorry" silently.

"Yes," said Cordelia, clearly with some distaste. "I have those. Varicose veins. I certainly do."

"And they're painful?"

"Excruciating." Cordelia nodded.

An plump elderly lady with bleary eyes in the next booth leaned across. "I couldn't help but overhear you, darlin'. You should try honey and lemon. I do and it works wonders. Honey and lemon and about a half-pint of bourbon every night. The pain just dissolves away."

Cordelia gave Fred a murderous look. "Why do you ask?"

Fred tucked her hair behind her ear uncomfortably. "I've been getting them. But not painful ones."

"It's you!" Cordy exclaimed.

Fred frowned, "What's me?"

"When Aunt Fay talked to the consultant," Cordelia began slowly, "She was told that there would be a message, several messages in fact, from the... the... specialist."

"The specialist?"

Cordelia leaned forward and hissed, "The blood specialist. He'd be getting in touch with one of us to... to... sort out any loose ends."

"Oh!" Fred stared at Cordy in wonderment, "So... so... I'm not going mad?"

"No," Cordy smiled, "In fact, of all the people I know and love, you're probably the sanest. No honey and lemon required."

"OK," Fred sighed, "Thanks. That's a load off my mind."

Cordelia looked around to make sure no-one overheard. "What did he say?"

Fred grimaced, "He says it was a trick. She set him up. He fell for it and turned Nero, and couldn't live with himself afterwards."

"That bitch..." Cordy met Fred's eyes, and she could see both fought back angry tears. "Poor Angel."

A bell rang to indicate the end of visiting time. Cordelia sniffed and stood. She blew a kiss at Fred, and made her way out of the visiting room.

Fred trudged back to her cell, lay in her bunk and thought about blowing softly on the back of Angel's neck.

"Fred!"

"That's me."

"How d'you do that?"

"Practice. Thinking precise thoughts. Five years in Pylea with no-one to talk to probably a factor. You remember, that place you rescued me from?"

He was silent for a moment. Then, "I'm sorry I rushed off like that. I appreciate what you're all trying to do."

"But?"

He sighed, "I don't know. Maybe there are no buts. It's just... a few weeks hanging around in darkness doesn't seem like much of a punishment for what I did."

She ignored that and imagined running her fingers through his thick hair.

He laughed. "You're not the only one who can do stuff, you know."

She felt a soft, moist pressure on her lips, just for a moment, and then it faded. She imagined returning the kiss; visualised it deepening. The pressure came back, more insistent this time. A tongue reached inside tentatively to taste her; she remembered how his mouth felt on hers when they had been together and followed his lead, willingly. They were both getting better at this, she mused, more skilled at thinking exactly and remembering to echo back each other's thoughts.

When he spoke again she could tell by the breathless quality of his voice that he was as aroused as she. "Fred? Is this... good for you? Or weird? What?"

"It feels beautiful."

"Can I... touch you?"

The mere thought of what that might mean caused little geysers of pleasure to erupt inside her. She wondered if he could feel them too, if he knew the effect he had on her, or guessed it.

"If you want to... just... give me some warning? Tell me what you're going to do?"

"I'm... running my hands though your hair... right to the ends... my fingers snagging slightly in your curls and making your head fall back... exposing your neck which I touch with my mouth at the centre, the hollow at the base of your throat..."

The sensations were precise and steady. She shivered and her mind raced to keep up with him. "...and I run my hands over your back... and then bring them forward... cos I want to unbutton your shirt and touch your skin... can I?"

"Of course... although, I don't think I'm wearing a shirt unless you put me in one..."

"...and I do it and slip my hands around your waist..."

"...and I work my way across your collarbone... kissing you all the time... and my hands have abandoned your hair now and they move down to your butt and grab you... and bring you to sit on me... straddling me..."

She felt herself slide onto his lap and become open to him. Giddy with anticipation, she could almost feel his breath on her throat. Then he seemed to fade out and she rushed a thought to keep him with her. "I wrap my legs around your waist... and take your head in my arms and bring it down to nuzzle my throat again..."

"...and I slip my hands under your t-shirt and pull it off, over your head... and then..."

She felt his soft hands glide up her back and round to sweep over her breasts. Something solid was forming between her legs. No, it was inside her. He was inside her.

"Angel! Oh god..."

It disappeared in a moment and he went with it. She heard his voice fade out.

"Oh... oh Fred... I'm sorry..."

She was back in her bunk, alone. The absence of feeling was suddenly unbearable. She reached out to him again. "It's OK..."

"I couldn't help it. It just slipped into my head."

"It's OK... Angel... think it again... please... I want you to... come back."

A pause, and then she felt him again, pushing at her, slipping inside, hands holding her hips and his body gently thrusting against her. She imagined her wetness opening to let him in. "Angel..."

"Oh... Fred... you feel... so good... so very good..."

"Angel... deeper... think deeper..."

"I'll come..."

"You can't... not unless I think about it..."

"I wouldn't... count on that... too much... if I were you..."

She thought about her own climax, and how it would feel for him. He gasped and she knew he felt it too, and so it became real. Her womb, her heart, her brain, her skin, her whole body seemed to come alive at once, and she heard herself gasping her release into the darkness.

As he came close the sensations of peripheral contact bled away; she could no longer feel his arms around her, his lips on her face and neck, the thickness of his body between her legs. His human maleness overcame him and his need for penetration was everything. He seemed to grow to fill her completely; for a moment she felt as if he would tear her apart, and then she lost him. When he returned, he was clutching her to him again, and already softening inside her. 

"Yes... yesss..."

"Angel... I love you... so much..."

"Fred... don't say that..."

"Why not? It's true."

"Because I'm not real."

"Maybe you will be, soon."


	7. Chapter 7

Human Weakness 7/8

**All the usual disclaimers apply. The characters are not mine, I am merely a fan who makes no commercial gain from writing this story.**

**Sequel to "I, Angel" - if you haven't read that and want to catch up, please click on the link to Soo W above and you'll get there**

Human Weakness 7/8 

"...you wanna know the deal? human weakness. it never goes away..."

Cordelia marched into the lobby of The Hyperion. The journey home had not calmed her, not dampened her anger by the least amount, nor quelled the grief that hovered, threatening to dissolve her into tears at any moment. As she said a quiet "hey" to the others, she knew she wasn't going to be able to break it to them gently. "Hell," she thought, "I'm not sure if I even want to spare anyone's feelings tonight."

She stood before the coat rack and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was white, almost as white as the four creatures chained at Faith's feet, apart from two smears of red on each cheek. She'd done her make-up before entering the prison and it had looked fine, natural. Now, all the colour she'd painted on looked out of place, garish and clown-like against the pallor of her skin.

Gunn was the first to notice her mood. He left the communal conversation and wandered over to her. His words, "Is everything OK?" were brief and neutral, but as she turned towards him, she could see his face furrowed in concern for her.

"Gunn..." she gulped, "No. No, everything's not OK, as a matter of fact. Things are pretty much the opposite of OK."

Back in the prison, Fred shuffled around her cell. "Only twenty-four hours left," she reminded herself, "Then I'm going to be going home." The thought was strangely uncomforting. "Maybe the Angel thing only works here," she thought, glumly. "Maybe..."

Maybe she'd better get everything she wanted to say said, just in case.

"Angel?"

"I'm here."

"Can I... touch you?"

"Please..."

"I'm shy. Don't know why."

"You're sitting on my lap, just as you did when you came back through the portal that time."

"OK. That feels nice."

"Fred? I want you to do something for me."

"Anything."

"You... you have to stop them. Stop them bringing me back."

Outside an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Los Angeles, Faith aimed her thirty-fifth rock at the only unbroken window the place now possessed. The glass shattered, and a large fragment fell through to the floor of the factory with a satisfying crash. She smiled, and looked around for something else to destroy.

She'd been here for a couple of hours, after leaving Wesley and Gunn to care for a distraught Cordelia. The fact was, she was supposed to be catching her fifth and final vampire, not mooching about looking for things to break. 

The problem was, she was so angry about Angel that she couldn't imagine finding a vampire and not having to slay it.

Or was it just that she had a specific vampire in mind?

In the prison, Fred was too shocked to reply at first, and then managed to croak, "Why?"

She felt him hold her a little tighter. "It's too dangerous. I... I love you."

"Then that's all the more reason... don't you want us to be together?"

"More than anything."

"Then..."

"Listen to me. When I was cursed, when my soul was restored, they did it in such a way that prevents me from being really happy and content. It was part of their revenge."

"What do you mean?"

"If I'm truly happy, even for a moment, I lose it again."

"Lose it?"

"My soul. I just become a regular vampire. A killer."

"No..."

"It happened once before. Wes can tell you." He kissed the top of her head and continued. "It's my fault. I should never have started this. I should never have tried to make you want me. But... I never expected to feel... I didn't expect to be in love with you like this. I thought I could keep it under control."

In the murk of LA, Faith abandoned her search for a random vampire and raced to a call box. She dialled the ex-directory number from memory. 

"Lilah Morgan."

"Lilah. Faith. Long time no see."

"What do you want?"

"I want not to have to come over there and make modern art with your internal organs. I want some information."

"What information?"

"Where is she?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Faith injected a tone of menace into her voice. "Don't tell me you aren't tracking her. You're the biggest control freaks I've ever met. Tell me where she is, or this might get messy."

Meanwhile, Fred tried to reason her way through what Angel was saying. "But that doesn't mean you can't come back. You lived with the curse before. When I came back from Pylea..."

"I didn't have you then. Look at us. You're not even really here, and I can barely keep from... thinking about being with you..."

Trying not to think about it evidently made him think about it all the more. His words had barely faded away when Fred felt him shifting. His body moved behind her at first, his naked skin pressed into her back and his hands gently cupping her breasts; then she felt herself lifted as he carried her in his arms and laid her down on and imaginary bed somewhere, climbing to join her; then he was holding her in front of him and kissing her. 

Eventually, the ebb and flow of his thoughts became indistinct and confused, one wish merged with the next in his mind, and she only knew that he was there, surrounding her, seeming to be in touch with all of her from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head. She couldn't keep up with him, he seemed to know so many ways to stroke and caress her. Eventually she capitulated, gave up the effort and murmured his name, involuntarily, as she surrendered to the sensations he evoked.

"Fred... Fred... I know. It's bliss and I want it too much. If we did this in reality, any of this, I don't think I could stop myself... being happy. It's too dangerous."

"But what's the alternative? I leave you here?"

"We can have this. Here. For as long as you want it."

"Or you could come back and we could... just be friends. As we were."

"Fred... it wouldn't work. You know we'd always be hoping for more. I'm not... always good at denying myself. I can't be the cause of any more pain."

She felt tears well up in her eyes. "Angel, I don't even know if I can get in touch with them. I may not be able to..."

"Promise me you'll find a way. I'm serious."

"OK. I - I promise." As she spoke the tears came. She buried her face in his neck. "I just can't stand to think of you stuck here."

"Fred, please, don't cry." His anguish was almost palpable. "I can settle for this. Even if it's just for a while. If it's the only way I can have you."


	8. Chapter 8

Human Weakness 8/8

**All the usual disclaimers apply. The characters are not mine, I am merely a fan who makes no commercial gain from writing this story.**

**Sequel to "I, Angel" - if you haven't read that and want to catch up, please click on the link to Soo W above and you'll get there**

Human Weakness 8/8 

"...you wanna know the deal? human weakness. it never goes away..."

Faith arrived back at the hotel with only half an hour to spare, dragging a vampire behind her by the hair. Wesley, Gunn and Cordelia came over to help her.

"We thought you weren't going to make it!"

"What happened? Why did it take so long?"

"You've been gone more than twenty-four hours..."

Their words died away as Faith swung the fifth and final vampire around in front of her, retaining the hold she had on the creature's blond locks. "Is everything ready?" 

Wesley nodded. 

Faith chained the vampire to the others. They formed a loose circle around one of the lobby's coffee tables, each chained to two of the others and a table leg. Gunn watched over them with a loaded crossbow, to ensure there were no co-ordinated efforts to run away. In the centre of the table sat a collection of Angel's belongings. 

"That's how we get Angel and no-one else?" Faith asked

"According to my research, yes," Wesley explained, "We have to have a personal object. So... we brought a few, just to be on the safe side."

Faith nodded. "So, let's get moving, Wes. Some of us have places to be!"

Wesley brought out the scroll and turned to face the five. Four of them were straining, rattling their chains and trying to get as far away from each other as possible. The fifth was still and menacing, sitting on the floor and watching the proceedings carefully. He pulled at the ribbon holding the Scoll together and unrolled it to the passage he needed, then began to read, turning at the end of each line to the others, for a response. 

"The Five will die, and from their ashes One will rise! Five are without breath." 

Faith, Gunn and Cordelia chimed in, "Yet they live!" 

"Five are without time." 

"Yet they live!" 

"Five are without soul." 

"Yet they live!" 

"Five are without sun." 

"Yet they live!" 

"Five are dead." 

"Yet they live!" 

The telephone rang in the background, and they heard the answerphone pick it up.

"And the five shall be a sacrifice, and the one who is dead shall live!"

From the machine, they heard Fred's voice, muffled by the speaker.

As Cordelia ran to pick up the phone, Wesley continued the incantation. "Even as life and death are not two things but one. In darkness is the light, in light is the darkness."

He heard Cordelia ask, "He said what? Why?"

"Arise!"

At first it seemed as if nothing would happen. The vampires looked at one another and smiled in relief. 

Cordelia put down the hand set and walked over to Wesley's side. "That was Fred. She said that Angel said..."

Suddenly, one of the five dissolved into ashes. Instead of falling to the ground, the ashes defied gravity and began to drift towards the vampire to his right, who tugged his chains in panic and tried to get away. After a few seconds, he was enveloped by the slow-moving cloud, and exploded into dust. 

"Angel said what?" asked Wesley, keeping his eyes on the spreading arc of debris.

Cordelia shook her head. "Too late. If this works, he can tell you himself."

The cloud grew thicker, and proceeded towards the vampire Faith had dragged in minutes before. She glared at Wesley. "I'm going to make you pay for this."

Wesley smiled feebly. "You have to get back first. I'm thinking your lawyer friends aren't going to help you again - not after last time." An intense look of satisfaction came over his face as the ashes reached her. "Goodbye, Darla."

The death cloud gained speed, enveloping first Darla, and then the remaining two vampires, and completing the circle. The centre was now obscured by the vortex; it spiralled up and inwards, bringing the ashes together in a column. Then a bright, white light flashed, and the ashes blew out and fell to the carpet in a perfect circle.

The table and Angel's belongings were gone, and in their place sat a naked form, plastered in soot and sweat. 

"Oh my!" Wesley exclaimed. "Gunn, give me your shirt."

"Why exactly does it have to be my shirt!?"

"Just hand it over!"

Angel shivered and looked around him blankly. Wesley approached him with caution, and threw the shirt gently around his shoulders. "Angel? Do you know me?"

There was no answer. The besmirched figure clutched the fabric round him and seemed to withdraw into it and hide.

"Why is he shivering?" Faith looked at Angel curiously. "That's a bit out of character, no?"

Wesley reached out a tentative hand, and touched the grimly surface of Angel's right arm.

"Ohmygod."

The others crowded round. "Wesley, what is it?"

Wesley stood and warded them off. Angel cowered from them, hiding his head in his arms.

"Wesley!"

"He's warm."

"Warm?"

Gunn approached them and put a hand on Angel's shoulder. "It's all right, fella... It's your old friend Gunn here, just checking something out." At the base of Angel's neck, he found a pulse.

"Well, we'd better not make resurrecting vampires our party piece, cos this one's alive."

"Of course!" Wesley slapped his forehead. "The ritual! I forgot!"

The others looked at him, blankly.

"The incantation! We just chanted the same words that Wolfram and Hart used to bring Darla back. As human. Of course he's alive, why wouldn't he be?"

Faith laughed. "Well, I call that a result. Now, can someone please take me back to prison?"

Wesley waved the Scoll triumphantly at the others. "I *knew* I was right about that translation..."

Faith's Epilogue

The door to the Governor's office swung open and Faith marched in and stood by the usual chair.

"Sit down."

Faith complied, and waited nervously for the Governor to tell her what she'd done wrong. "God, how I love these little talks we have from time to time." she mused. "Not!" 

"I felt I had to call you in here to discuss your parole hearing."

Faith groaned inwardly but on the outside remained impassive.

"The board were very impressed by what you had to say. They tell me you were clear to the point of eloquence on the subjects of remorse, the importance of working through punishment for crimes and the hope of eventual forgiveness and rehabilitation. I think it's not an exaggeration to say that some of them were quite moved."

Faith opened her mouth the speak, and shut it again when she couldn't think of anything to say.

"As for your behaviour while away from us, it seems to have been exemplary. The governor over there reviewed your file and said he would go as far as to say it was like dealing with a different person."

Another pause. Faith thought it would look strange if she said nothing, and managed an "Oh?"

"Obviously," the Governor continued, "it would be premature for the board to recommend a release date on your first parole hearing. Indeed, the severity of your crime would prevent that. But, if this improvement continues, I see no reason to doubt your eventual success, and I would hope we could perhaps move you to a less secure unit very soon. Well done, Faith."

"Thanks." The interview was obviously at an end, so she got up to leave, then turned back to ask, "Did they say what it was about my behaviour that particularly impressed them? Cuz, you know, I'd like to keep improving."

"Of course, of course," said the Governor. "Well, let me see, they talk at length on your integration into the social life of the prison. Joining the chess club..."

Faith gulped, "The chess club?"

"...volunteering for extra work duties..."

"Just wait til I get out," thought Faith to herself.

"...and offering to teach the other inmates advanced math, well, that was just the icing on the cake. It's a shame you didn't get any takers, but, you know, we could maybe wait until you get settled back in and try that again?"

"Yeah," Faith said, "On the other hand, it's so difficult to force people to learn if the will isn't there."

"True. Well in any case, welcome back, Faith."

"Thank-you, Sir. It's good to be back."

Fred's Epilogue

Fred made Wesley stop the car outside the main door. She left him to park it, and rushed into the hotel. The lobby was deserted. No Angel. She tore from room to room, trying to find him. 

Eventually, she noticed a door on the ground floor she'd never seen used before, standing open. It lead to the rear garden of the Hyperion. There, with the sun blazing down, sat a handsome, dark-haired, almost completely unclothed man. He was reclining on a lounger, surrounded by several tubs of rapidly melting icecream and a collection of chocolate wrappers. 

"Angel?"

He turned and came rushing to meet her. She was swept from her feet, his arms folded round her and he pressed her face into the sun-warmed skin of his neck.

"Is it really true?"

"Yes. Human, they brought me back human. No vampire. No curse. Kiss me..."

"Angel... you're freckling already. Did no-one explain the dangers of overexposure? Sunburn?"

"Sod the overexposure. I want a tan."

"You'll wrinkle and die of cancer."

He held her face in his hands and she noted, for the record, that his eyes were still as dark and beautiful as ever, and still had exactly the same effect on her heart-rate. They began to kiss, and for the first time she noticed he was breathing. He was trying to talk and breathe and kiss her at the same time. And he wasn't very good at it.

"So... saveme... from... mmmph... myself. Takemetobed."

"Isn't it a bit early in the day for bed?"

He leered and started to walk her backwards towards the lounger. "Well of course, if you'd rather do it right here..."

A discrete cough came from behind her, and Fred craned her head to see Wesley and Gunn laughing at them from the doorway.

Gunn shook his head. "Fred, try to get him to put some clothes on, will you?" Then he saw the hungry way the pair were looking at each other. "What on earth am I saying? Better leave you to get it out of your systems, I guess. We'll pop back in a month or so." 

Wesley waved and made to follow him, and then turned back, "Are we excused, Angel? For bringing you back against your wishes?"

Angel gazed at the woman in his arms and touched his lips to hers gently.

"Yeah," he smiled, "All is forgiven."


End file.
